Shirt



Patente'cl Aug. 4, 1942 SHIRT 1 Claim.

This invention relates to apparel and more particularly to a shirt with an improved means for attaching buttons thereto, one object of the invention being to provide a shirt having buttons at its back so mounted that when same are engaged through the corresponding trouser button-holes and subjected to strain, such as eX- erted by a person leaning over, the shirt will not be ripped nor will the buttons be torn oi, by reason of the free play embodied in the invention.

Another object of the invention is to provide a shirt having its rear buttons carried by a pleat formed across the back of the shirt, the buttons being so mounted that elasticity will be established between the buttons and the shirt and damage to the shirt by strain prevented.

Another object of the invention is to provide the shirt with buttons carried by the strips of elastic tape which pass through the rear pleat and are secured at their ends against the inner face of the pleat. Therefore, the tapes may be stretched outwardly when strain is applied to the buttons and then contract and hold the waist band snugly in place.

Another object of the invention is to provide the shirt with tape-receiving openings reinforced by eyelets which cause the tape to slide easily as it stretches or contracts and prevents wear upon the tape or about the opening. It will thus be seen that fraying oi the tapes or the pleat about the openings through which the tapes pass will be prevented and the need for replacements due to wear reduced to a minimum.

Another object of the invention is to so secure ends of the tapes against the inner face of the pleat that they will be very f1rmly secured and prevented from becoming detached.

Still another object of the invention resides in providing a device which is simple and durable in construction, inexpensive to manufacture and one which will be very eicient in operation and application to use.

With these and numerous other objects in view, my invention consists in the novel features of construction, combination. and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter referred to and more particularly pointed out in the specication and claim.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein:

Figurev 1 is a View looking at the back of a shirt of the improved construction, a portion of a pair of trousers being buttoned to the shirt.

Figure 2 is an enlarged View of the pleat eX- tending across the back of the shirt and having buttons secured thereto in accordance with this invention.

Figure 3 is a View showing the pleat turned over and illustrating the manner in which the button-carrying tapes are secured to the pleat.

Figure 4 is a sectional View upon an enlarged scale taken along the line 4--4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a View similar to Figure 4 showing the tape stretched.

Figure 6 is a sectional view upon an enlarged scale taken along the line 6-6 of Figure 1.

The shirt I may be formed of any suitable material and of any size desired. The back of the shirt is folded in spaced relation to its lower end and sewed by a line of stitching 2 to form a pleat 3 of double thickness, ends of the pleat being sewed into the side seams of the shirt so that the pleat will normally remain in the depending position shown in Figures 4 and 5. Buttons 4 are carried by the pleat outwardly thereof and when engaged through the button holes 5 of the trousers 6 serve to hold the waist band of the trousers in engagement with the back of the shirt. By this arrangement, the trousers will be supported at the back and the shirt prevented from working up out of the trousers.

In order to hold the buttons in place but permit give and thus prevent the buttons from being torn off or the shirt ripped when subjected to strain when a person leans over, the buttons have been sewed to strips of elastic fabric 1 by thread 8. Each button is sewed to the companion elastic strip or tape 'l midway the length thereof as shown in Figure 6 and end portions 9 of the strip or tape are inwardly passed through a metal eyelet or grommet I0. The eyelets or grommets I0 are spaced from each other longitudinally of the pleat Vand since they are secured to the pleat in clamping engagement therewith with portions passing through openings in the pleat, the elastic tapes or strips may slide easily through the pleat when they are stretched and then contract. Extremities of the tapes are folded back upon themselves and firmly secured against the inner face of the pleat by hollow rivets Il, it being understood that other securing means for ends of the tapes may be substituted in place of the hollow rivets shown.

When the shirt is worn, the trousers are buttoned to the shirt in the usual manner with the buttons 4 carried by the pleat or fold 3 engaged through the button holes 5 and the tapes passing through the button holes as shownin Figures 4 and 6. Ordinarily,the tapes are contracted as shown in Figure 4 with the buttons close against the outer face of the p1eat but when a person leans over, the tapes 'l Will be stretched as shown in Figure 5. Therefore, strain exerted will merely stretch the tapes instead of tearing the buttons loose or ripping the shirt and when the person again stands upright, the tapes will contract and restore the buttons to the position shown in Figures 4 and 6. The fact that the elasic stripsor tapes are passed through metal eyelets allows them to slide easily during stretching and contraction and also prevents the p1eat from becoming frayed about the openings through which the tapes pass. By securing ends of the tapes to the p1eat with rivets passing through both plies of the p1eat, they will be very firmly secured and prevented from being torn loose even if they are stretched to their full extent.

From the foregoing description of the construction of my improved device, the operation thereof and the method of applying the same to use, will be readily understood. It will be seen that I have provided a simple, inexpensive and efficient means for carrying out the objects of the invention and while I have particularly described the elements best adapted to perform the functions set forth, it is obvious that various changes in form, proportion and in the minor details of construction may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the principles of the invention.

I claim:

A garment having a portion folded and sewed to form a p1eat extending transversely of the garment across the Waist encircling portion thereof and free along its lower edge, the p1eat being formed with openings spaced from each other longitudinally thereof, grommets secured through the openings and constituting reinforcements about the openings having rounded edges bordering the openings, buttons, elastic tapes each having a button secured thereto midway its length, said tapes having end portions lpassed inwardly through the grommets and extending in opposite directions from the grommets and along the inner face of the p1eat longitudinally thereof, and fasteners passing through the pl'eat and ends of the tapes to rmly secure the tapes to the pleats.

GEORGE SI-IERWIN. 

